We think all investors should try to buy and hold high quality multi-year winners. And highest quality companies can see their share prices grow by huge amounts. To wit, the International Petroleum Corporation (TSE:IPCO) share price has soared 707% over five years. And this is just one example of the epic gains achieved by some long term investors. On top of that, the share price is up 25% in about a quarter. We love happy stories like this one. The company should be really proud of that performance!

Since it’s been a strong week for International Petroleum shareholders, let’s have a look at trend of the longer term fundamentals.

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To quote Buffett, ‘Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace…’ By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

During five years of share price growth, International Petroleum achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 54% per year. This EPS growth is remarkably close to the 52% average annual increase in the share price. This indicates that investor sentiment towards the company has not changed a great deal. Indeed, it would appear the share price is reacting to the EPS.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

earnings-per-share-growth

TSX:IPCO Earnings Per Share Growth February 1st 2026

It’s probably worth noting we’ve seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. This free interactive report on International Petroleum’s earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

We’re pleased to report that International Petroleum shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 50% over one year. However, the TSR over five years, coming in at 52% per year, is even more impressive. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we’ve spotted with International Petroleum .

International Petroleum is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find lesser know companies this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Canadian exchanges.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.